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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: coach · season · bank · current · rock · capital · safe · mine

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. current — of water
  9. bank — of a river
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bank — for money
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. capital — money
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. season — of the year
  18. rock — music
  19. season — in sport
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bank — for money
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. capital — a city
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com